[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:00] Older people shuffle, shuffle, that's right, and then we have a work time.
[1:30] Special meeting of the city council public financing authority to order city clerk roll call, please.
[1:37] All right.
[1:39] Councilman 20, yes.
[1:41] Councilman Kennedy.
[1:42] Here.
[1:43] Mayor Protem McKeean.
[1:44] Here.
[1:45] Mayor Burns.
[1:46] Here.
[1:47] Councilwoman Vandermark.
[1:48] Councilman Grohl.
[1:49] Here.
[1:50] Councilman Williams.
[1:51] Here.
[1:52] Sixth President, Councilwoman Vandermark Absent.
[1:56] Okay, thank you.
[1:58] Stand, please stand for the pledge allegiance.
[2:05] We're going to have the new city, a system city manager.
[2:09] Marcia Sir, lead us in the pledge allegiance.
[2:13] Please stand at your able.
[2:14] Place your hand over your heart.
[2:16] Begin.
[2:17] All right, city clerk, we have anybody signed up to speak.
[2:43] Yes, Mayor.
[2:44] We have.
[2:45] Sir.
[2:47] 13 people signed up to speak.
[2:50] Okay.
[2:51] But we also have supplemental communication.
[2:55] Okay.
[2:59] For item number 25780, we have 11 emails received regarding the proposed possibility of an artistic expression of freedom and speech.
[3:08] Free speech.
[3:10] You know, you're all memorializing Charlie Kirk.
[3:16] That it.
[3:17] All right.
[3:20] Proper decorum at City Council meeting is imperative in order for the public to remain informed about issues pertaining to the city business.
[3:29] The public comments portion of the meeting is an opportunity for the public to be heard and address those issues in a public form.
[3:38] We're going to interrupt a behavior and meeting or delaying our ability to conduct the city council's business.
[3:44] We'll not be tolerated.
[3:46] California penal code section 403 prohibits disrupting this meeting and enforcement action will be taken for violations of this law.
[3:55] At this time, city council will receive comments from members of the public regarding topics included on the special agenda.
[4:05] Individuals wishing to provide a comment may do so in person by filling out a request to speak form delivered to the city clerk.
[4:14] All speakers are encouraged, but not required to identify themselves by name.
[4:19] He speaker may have up to three minutes unless the volume of speakers weren't reducing the time allowance.
[4:27] Please note that the brown act is not allowed for discussion or action on topics that are not on the agenda members of the public who would like to speak directly with council member.
[4:37] On an item not on the agenda may consider scheduling an appointment by contacting city councils administrative assistant at 74536553 or email in the entire city council at city.council at serve city-hb.org.
[4:56] Okay, see the clerk just call everybody up. We'll give each person a minute and let's get going.
[5:08] You want more? Okay, one minute.
[5:14] Yeah, it's good one.
[5:17] Speaker, please approach the podium when you're called line up.
[5:20] Tunie, Chattergy, Charles Jackson, Patricia Papas, Mr. Avery Hanson, Judy Morris, Sonia Biel, and Palmer, David Reinerson, Wendy Rincan, Cathy Haas,
[5:36] Gorge Washington, Chris Reeney, Bethany Webb,
[5:41] Be Channel.
[5:44] Can I start?
[5:47] You're telling me.
[5:48] Yes, please.
[5:49] Okay, my comment is quick.
[5:51] I speak as somebody who represents hospitality in Huntington Beach.
[5:55] We are a really vibrant hospitality community.
[5:57] Which means that we cannot be a divisive town.
[6:01] We are a purple town at our heart. We don't follow global federal politics like that.
[6:08] We serve. We have a good time. We spend money at restaurants and bars.
[6:12] And unfortunately, this memorial is so violent.
[6:16] It depicts violence that happened on a college campus.
[6:19] It's a family that's mourning still grieving.
[6:22] It's just an ugly thing to have in this cool surf town that we all pay taxes in.
[6:27] We live in and we raise our children in.
[6:29] It perpetuates a harmful narrative about Huntington Beach that harms our hospitality community.
[6:34] And unfortunately, it doesn't send the right message.
[6:39] Although the artist, the art that I've seen has been beautiful.
[6:43] It doesn't send the right message for Huntington Beach.
[6:45] And I'm concerned as a citizen.
[6:46] I don't want any more drama in this town.
[6:48] I want people to visit and spend their money here.
[6:50] I know one thing we all agree is.
[6:52] We love Huntington Beach.
[6:54] All right. Thank you. Next speaker.
[6:56] Honorable Mayor and counselors appreciate you making HP the best run city.
[7:00] 46 year resident in November.
[7:03] I'm very happy to support the creation of a freedom and free speech mural
[7:07] memorializing and celebrating a life of Charlie Kirk.
[7:10] Many of our youth residents of all ages and visitors will need a place to honor their ideas
[7:16] of their great hero and mentor Charlie Kirk.
[7:20] This is a turning point for many of our young people.
[7:24] Please form the ad hoc committee.
[7:27] Thank you for always standing strong together.
[7:30] Thank you. Next speaker.
[7:33] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My name is Mr. Emory Ants.
[7:36] I'm speaking tonight in support of item one.
[7:38] The mayor and councilman grewl and William's item to establish
[7:43] create a free speech mural.
[7:45] The freedom of speech for all plays a vital role in effective governance and free society.
[7:50] Just as William O. Douglas once said quote,
[7:52] the standard of what events the common quote, the common conscious of the community
[7:56] and quote conflicts with the command of the first amendment and quote.
[8:00] I urge the council to assert its support for free and
[8:03] a speech by authorizing this mural to be painted.
[8:05] Once again, I urge I guess vote and I am one.
[8:08] Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker.
[8:11] This is Huntington Beach.
[8:14] There is no statue or mural of Ronald Reagan.
[8:17] At least he was a Californian. Charlie Kirk didn't live here.
[8:21] Okay. He rarely came here too.
[8:23] We don't need a mural of Charlie Kirk.
[8:26] After school shootings, we are cautioned to let emotions calm down.
[8:31] But on the other hand, think of all those statues of Len and Stalin
[8:34] and others that were pulled down after the fall of their regime.
[8:37] Think of the statues of the side that were pulled down last year.
[8:42] Anyway, if you have to make a mural, please don't put it on city hall property.
[8:46] Put it in one of our parks.
[8:48] Next speaker, please.
[8:51] Hi. I'm here to acknowledge and support the ongoing efforts of our mayor city council
[8:55] staff and volunteers to manage and prove and beautify our city.
[8:59] The premise of a memorial to celebrate our freedoms including free speech
[9:02] and honoring Charlie Kirk is a good one.
[9:04] Especially in the center that is a center for free speech and discourse.
[9:08] However, I'm not a fan of outdoor installation art unless it was planned
[9:13] when the space was built.
[9:15] And the reason for that is I've fought long and hard for open spaces, blue skies,
[9:19] and uncluttered streets.
[9:22] So I love the artwork, but I don't know where you're going to put it.
[9:26] I would suggest we dedicate one of the fountains that we already are going to be
[9:34] are that we've already created at the library and are reworking.
[9:38] Dedicate one of those are something that really fits murals like in Venice and Long Beach.
[9:43] There's a lot of maintenance and after a while it just looks like noise.
[9:47] So it's beautiful art, but I just don't think the artwork itself is necessarily great
[9:52] for the outdoor spaces we have.
[9:54] Thank you.
[9:55] Next speaker.
[9:58] Mayor Burns and members of the City Council.
[10:00] My name is Kathy Haws.
[10:01] My husband and I have been residents for over 52 years in Huntington Beach.
[10:05] And I first want to start off by thanking you all for the hard work that you're doing
[10:10] and for your commitment to serve because I know that there've been some very trying times
[10:14] for each and every one of you.
[10:15] So we thank you for the bottom of our hearts.
[10:18] I'm here to express support for directing staff to explore the creation of a mural
[10:23] as an artistic expression, honoring freedom and free speech, memorializing,
[10:28] Charlie Kirk and to form a city council,
[10:31] ad hoc committee authorized to identify a location,
[10:34] artists and artwork for the mural.
[10:36] Please vote for this.
[10:37] Please honor our freedom of speech.
[10:39] And I would add that maybe we ought to consider some other options besides
[10:44] a mural that is possibly a good idea as well.
[10:47] So let's keep it open and do something to honor freedom of speech because that's
[10:52] what we're all here and we're all about.
[10:54] Thank you very much.
[10:56] Thank you.
[10:57] Next speaker.
[11:00] Having a discussion about whether or not to honor someone isn't a cause for an emergency meeting,
[11:04] unless of course you're into performative politics.
[11:06] Holding that emergency meeting at four in the afternoon with barely 24 hours,
[11:10] notice, reeks of the desire to have no public input.
[11:13] Perhaps that's because this city council is repeatedly showing that they don't give a damn
[11:16] with the community things.
[11:18] Typically, the honor of being enshrined in the public square is reserved for people
[11:21] the vast majority of degrees are heroes deserving of that treatment.
[11:24] Does Charlie Kirk qualify?
[11:26] Certainly many Christian nationalists think so.
[11:28] However, when digs into his many opinions and many statements that he's made,
[11:32] a great many people are equally convinced that he's a hero only for a minority of people
[11:35] who refuse to accept that people of other face sexual orientations,
[11:38] or economic viewpoints, have an equal right to exist and to their own happiness.
[11:42] Consequently, you're personally free to honor Charlie Kirk and A.
[11:46] We're here to discuss the idea of having a mural for honoring freedom and free speech
[11:51] while memorializing Charlie Kirk.
[11:53] Doing any sort of artwork to express an abstract concept goes right into allegorical,
[11:59] and it's hard to do that, and they usually do not age well.
[12:03] It's hard to do that.
[12:05] It's hard to do that.
[12:08] That's sort of artwork to express an abstract concept goes right into allegorical,
[12:13] and it's hard to do that, and they usually do not age well.
[12:17] There aren't that many people that are interested in 18th century classical revival art these days,
[12:21] and that's all allegorical.
[12:23] Now, as for Kirk, he did not honor free speech in his life.
[12:27] He was a fraud.
[12:28] He said he was a debater, but he took students,
[12:30] trapped them into false arguments and yelled at them until they gave up.
[12:34] That's not a debate.
[12:35] That's an ambush for clickbait.
[12:37] We as Americans can do better, and furthermore,
[12:40] taking a popular figure for a divisive minority political position,
[12:45] and turning them into a saint, that's not American.
[12:48] That's the kind of things that Communist Russia does.
[12:51] Next speaker.
[12:54] I vehemently oppose the mural and honor Charlie Kirk in the city of Huntington Beach.
[13:00] He used his deceptive devotion to God to spread hate speech
[13:04] aimed against vulnerable people.
[13:07] His distorted limited idea of freedom which excludes certain people
[13:11] is touted by the current regime on the federal and local level.
[13:15] Huntington Beach City Council's idolization of Mr. Kirk and Mr. Trump
[13:19] is not representative of the opinion of all citizens in Huntington Beach.
[13:23] And no Huntington Beach taxpayer resources should be used
[13:27] to create a mural and honor a Mr. Kirk.
[13:30] Such a mural might be viewed as an open invitation to further visits
[13:34] by our city, to our city, by neo-Nazis.
[13:37] While everyone has the freedom to openly express their views,
[13:40] this will simply create even more division than you have already achieved
[13:44] within our city.
[13:46] The two-hour window to submit a communication for the city council
[13:49] to see prior to the special meeting is appalling
[13:53] and interact opposition to the idea of free speech.
[13:56] Next speaker, please.
[13:58] She's speaking for me.
[14:01] It's an indirect opposition to the idea of freedom.
[14:04] Point of order, can she pass off her minute to somebody else?
[14:08] Speak for yourself, ma'am.
[14:11] Can somebody read this?
[14:13] Because my glasses aren't working right now for me.
[14:16] City Attorney?
[14:18] Okay.
[14:20] It's an indirect opposition to the idea of free speech
[14:25] as your less and three-minute limit on public speaking at council meetings.
[14:30] An alternative to achieve your performative goal is for you to place a bus
[14:34] of Mr. Kirk on the day as along with your bus of Mr. Trump at city council meetings
[14:39] would be less use of city resources.
[14:44] That should get you the press you need to once again shamelessly promote yourselves.
[14:48] Your hypocrisy and ability to so division within our city never ceases
[14:53] to amaze and to support.
[14:56] Next speaker.
[14:57] I have 15 or 30 seconds.
[15:00] I just want to say that I agree with, you know, maybe you want to honor him to some level, maybe how about next to a mega plaque? It would go well together with you guys, because it doesn't represent everybody who lives here. And I didn't appreciate the time frame that we were allotted to do this today.
[15:24] Next speaker.
[15:28] Wendy Rincon, this mural is a disgraceful idea. Let's call it what it is, a blatant attempt to turn our public walls into partisan propaganda.
[15:37] Charlie Kirk did not unite this community, he divided it. His rhetoric field, culture wars, targeted vulnerable people, broad extremists out of the shadows, and now you want to immortalize him as a symbol of freedom.
[15:49] That is not freedom, that is political, idol tree. You know what this mural will do? It will deepen the wounds in this city.
[15:56] It will be a rallying point for hate groups who already exploited his death. It will make Huntington Beach a national punchline and down for its beauty.
[16:04] And for its people, but also elevating a figure of division. With one minute, there is no level of shame that you guys will ever feel you drag us down here. You could have waited until next Tuesday.
[16:18] But instead you had to make a special meeting for this, ridiculous.
[16:23] Next speaker.
[16:27] So you want to put up a mural to express freedom and freedom of speech, huh?
[16:33] That is the height of hypocrisy as you limit the speech of your constituents to 60 seconds.
[16:41] Pat Burns, you moan and groan.
[16:45] Back physically pained to listen to your resident's speak.
[16:50] You threaten speakers with being removed for offensive comments while you get caught on a hot mic on your colleagues' pieces of shite.
[16:57] And a young woman, another effing cow.
[17:00] We don't support a mural for a podcaster on a public space, but happened to him was tragic.
[17:08] Especially for his children.
[17:11] If you want a mural, put it up in your own backyard or at your own church.
[17:16] If you insist on a public mural, let's honor the countless children that are victims of gun violence, like from Parkland, Sandy Hook, or you've all day.
[17:25] Stop chasing the latest tragedy to create headlines for yourself.
[17:30] Next speaker.
[17:36] So the cultural marches that Charlie Kirk combated with his voice in his free speech is the same type of rhetoric that comes from the left in Huntington Beach here.
[17:51] And they attack every single one of our council members up here on the diet.
[17:56] So let this stand as a reminder that the cultural marches, the insanity of the left will never silence us, ever.
[18:06] It will never silence us.
[18:08] And I'm proud of each and every one of you guys for standing up and fighting this culture war.
[18:12] Because without fighting the culture war, that's the soul of our country.
[18:16] And without the soul of our country, there is nothing.
[18:19] There is no America without our soul.
[18:21] So I'm proud of you guys.
[18:24] I will not refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.
[18:29] And that's what each and every one of you are upholding.
[18:33] Our republic, our great republic, Skywalker over and out.
[18:37] Next speaker.
[18:45] Man, please don't interrupt the meeting.
[18:48] Next speaker.
[18:50] Bethany Webb, anti-fascist, daughter and sister and friend to gun violence victims.
[19:00] I want to address the live that has been perpetrated that everybody on the left is celebrating an act of violence.
[19:11] As spent the last 14 years using every time I had a chance to speak to speak out against gun violence.
[19:19] My family was devastated by gun violence.
[19:23] If I saw anyone applying gun violence, that is a deal breaker.
[19:28] It is not true.
[19:30] There is a difference between not mourning the death of someone who was not a good human and celebrating the way in which they were murdered.
[19:42] So stop.
[19:43] Again, trying to separate us with your lies that we were celebrating that.
[19:48] No, we were not.
[19:50] But I want to know where the mural was.
[19:53] Next speaker.
[19:54] Are we done with that?
[19:56] We're killed.
[19:59] That's it.
[20:01] There are no more speakers.
[20:05] Okay.
[20:08] No more speakers.
[20:10] Okay.
[20:11] We'll move on to council member items.
[20:14] Item 25-730.
[20:20] To discuss the possibility of an artistic expression of freedom and speech mural memorializing Charlie Kirk.
[20:33] Please.
[20:34] If you guys want to talk, please exit the room.
[20:37] Okay.
[20:38] Yeah.
[20:39] Bye.
[20:41] All right.
[20:44] Council member, Chad Williams.
[20:46] Please present it.
[20:47] Okay.
[20:48] If we could pull up the first slide there, Shannon.
[20:51] Sorry.
[20:52] Here we go.
[20:53] You guys got me.
[20:54] If we could pull up the first slide.
[20:55] This is just a handful of photos that came from the visual it took place.
[21:00] The previous sign did before on the 14th.
[21:06] This was something that really came together at the drop of a hat.
[21:10] And so I think this is representative.
[21:12] I asked a lot of the folks here.
[21:13] We can go to one of the next slide here.
[21:14] Just kind of get an idea of how many folks are there.
[21:16] They're shot from peer-plows.
[21:17] The CBS News is reporting.
[21:20] Next slide.
[21:21] You can see the peer in the background just loaded with folks shoulder to shoulder next slide.
[21:26] And then this was really, I think the inspiration that started it.
[21:30] There was a woman that began to paint a mural there on the spot and it was very powerful.
[21:35] And moving and I began to ask people in that large crowd.
[21:39] What they thought about the possibility of maybe doing something like this to memorialize.
[21:44] Not only Charlie, but it's a memorial really to free speech.
[21:47] A reminder that this is one of the core values of what it is to be an American.
[21:52] And we shouldn't be robbed of such things.
[21:54] We can go back to the next slide.
[21:56] It was next slide just kind of shows a large the crowd shot again.
[22:00] But what happened on September 10th, it was unbelievably tragic.
[22:05] And I hope that we all can agree on that.
[22:08] An innocent man was murdered.
[22:10] You know, that was somebody's baby boy.
[22:12] Still their baby boy.
[22:13] Such a young man, 31 years old.
[22:16] That was somebody's husband.
[22:18] That was the father of two children.
[22:21] And why did they do it?
[22:23] I mean, he's so gifted.
[22:25] The knowledge is retention.
[22:27] His ability to regurgitate information.
[22:30] Why did they do this to him?
[22:32] He offered a microphone to those that disagreed with him.
[22:35] And this happened here in America.
[22:37] And these are the types of things that should not be happening.
[22:40] And so somehow somebody was able to rationalize.
[22:43] They were able to conceive in their mind.
[22:45] That this man is so evil.
[22:47] He is so bad.
[22:49] He is such a fascist that I would be doing my country a service.
[22:52] If I end his life with a bullet, how did we get here to this place in America?
[22:57] I've been overseas in places that are vile and violent,
[23:03] where I've seen men that have been ambushed and dismembered,
[23:06] and their cellphones taken off of their bodies and pictures of them be taken
[23:11] from their own cellphones.
[23:12] These terrorists go through their contacts and find their wives in the
[23:16] contacts and then text message from the husband's phones.
[23:20] These dismembered bodies.
[23:22] These are the types of things that happen in places where you are not free to express
[23:26] yourself because violence is used to suppress that freedom.
[23:31] And so I see doing a mural on the memorial.
[23:35] This is so much bigger than just a memorial to Charlie Kirk.
[23:39] It is a reminder.
[23:41] And so just by way of reminder, this is a core American value.
[23:45] It will be a visible representation of that freedom.
[23:48] It's a symbol that will stand against the use of violence or intimidation
[23:54] to try and shut down free speech.
[23:56] American should be full of courage to speak in the face of intimidation.
[24:00] Suppression through fear has no place in America.
[24:04] It's also an artistic expression of freedom that really makes all our
[24:09] artistic expression possible.
[24:11] How could you express yourself without freedom?
[24:14] And so this in itself is a foundational fundamental expression of free speech
[24:19] the freedom of expression we're celebrating.
[24:22] The ability to express all types of other values.
[24:26] And it also has educational and generational impact.
[24:29] You know, I think most of us here in the room are maybe watching right now.
[24:33] Remember exactly where they were during 9.11.
[24:36] You know, what they were doing, how they felt when they heard the news.
[24:40] It leaves an impact.
[24:42] And it really hit this last 9.11 following this tragedy with Charlie Kirk.
[24:49] I speak to a group of young adults, college students.
[24:52] And none of them were alive at the time when 9.11 had happened.
[24:56] None of them were around at that time to remember what it was like.
[25:01] And what I learned on 9.11 when that happened was really a gratitude and appreciation
[25:07] for the freedoms that we have.
[25:09] You know, I was 16, 17 year old kid at the time.
[25:12] For the first time I really woke up and realized while freedom is not free,
[25:16] there are those that are willing and wanting to take those freedoms away.
[25:21] And so that was the seed thought that initially led to me wanting to live for
[25:25] something bigger and greater than self.
[25:27] We have a generation that's coming up that wasn't around during those days of 9.11.
[25:31] Just like some of us went around during the days of Vietnam.
[25:35] And what happens is we run the risk of forgetting.
[25:38] And there is that proverb that goes, you know, that a nation or a people that forgets its
[25:42] past is doomed to repeat its mistakes.
[25:44] And I was confronted with this on a college camp.
[25:47] There's not many years ago when I was involved with a documentary that was being
[25:51] called 180 movie and one of the initial questions that we would ask people
[25:56] these students on the college campus just to get the conversation going,
[26:00] just to get things off the ground.
[26:01] This wasn't a gotcha question.
[26:03] This was just to get it going was, who was at off Hitler to you?
[26:08] Or what do you think about the Holocaust?
[26:11] Not a gotcha question.
[26:12] I was shocked by how many college students without fail within a couple hours.
[26:16] We'd have a half and dozen of them that had no idea who it off Hitler was.
[26:20] And so remember a nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat its mistakes.
[26:24] They ask questions.
[26:25] This is on video.
[26:26] They go, I don't know what is he, is he an actor?
[26:29] And so you can see the importance why we have something that we leave behind.
[26:34] Something monumental where people can remember,
[26:37] especially generations to come that weren't there.
[26:40] That weren't around September 10th to remember the day.
[26:44] That's why when you come up the stairs of city hall,
[26:47] we have a memorial for all of the Vietnam.
[26:49] I rack more veterans.
[26:50] We have a memorial for the 2,977 people that died in 9,11 and so many afters after that.
[26:58] And so I see this is so important so much bigger than just being a memorial to one person.
[27:03] We are honoring his life but it's bigger than that.
[27:06] This is an expression of free speech and it is a reminder that freedom doesn't come free.
[27:11] And so this is why I wanted to bring this item forward.
[27:14] It's not something that's intended to be a divider of people at all.
[27:17] I hope that it's a visual that starts conversation and gets people talking about these things.
[27:21] So that when children look at it in an ass one day,
[27:23] Mommy, Daddy, who is that man?
[27:25] Who is that image?
[27:26] They could retell the story of there was a time.
[27:29] There was a tragedy in our nation at one time where a man was trying to have a conversation and offer a microphone to others.
[27:35] A core foundational principle.
[27:38] A core foundational principle here in America.
[27:41] And he was assassinated, he was murdered and there were thousands upon thousands of people.
[27:45] And the digital imprint will always be there that we're celebrating and gloating over his death.
[27:50] It was a tragedy.
[27:52] And so if you guys would like to deliberate a little bit more,
[27:56] I have a motion that I can move but I want to open it up to everyone else.
[28:00] I'll show you back the time.
[28:02] But Chad brought up something really good there.
[28:06] There's times in your life and I'm the oldest one here.
[28:09] So I remember things farther back than many that are in this room.
[28:15] But I remember exactly where I was when the challenge you're exploded and the tragic deaths of the space shuttle astronauts.
[28:23] I remember exactly where I was.
[28:25] I remember exactly where I was on 9.11.
[28:28] And I'll always remember exactly where I was when Charlie Kurt got assassinated.
[28:34] Charlie Kurt left an indelible mark.
[28:38] On the American public life in both the intensity of his convictions and the breadth of his reach.
[28:45] As co-founder of Turning Point USA, he galvanized a generation, animating classrooms, campuses, youth rallies,
[28:55] with a message rooted in free speech, faith in God and patriotism.
[29:01] He was never content with the SATA status quo insisting that dialogue must be bold that ideas should be tested,
[29:09] and that young people have the power to reshape the civic landscape.
[29:14] Kurt's voice at times was polarizing, many admired his clarity and his fearless willingness to confront what he and many of us believed.
[29:25] We're threats to the American identity, culture, and values.
[29:29] Some found his views controversial or divisive.
[29:33] But for even those who disagreed, his engagement forced a reckoning in a democracy no movement remains worthwhile unless it demands conviction.
[29:44] Whether in his speeches, media appearances, or the organizations he led,
[29:49] Kurt's influence extended far beyond politics.
[29:53] He drew up, he drew up on his Christian faith, politics, and beyond.
[30:00] His conservative principles in fervent optimism that America can and must recover its virtue and purpose. His tragic assassination on September 10, 2025, at Utah Youth Valley University, cut short a life of activism, alone a sass and took away a son, a husband and a father of two very young children. The grief, the morals, the tens of thousands, if not 100
[30:30] and hundreds of thousands who gathered this past Sunday to honor him all speak to the magnitude
[30:37] of what we all lost on September 10th and the depth of what he inspired. Yet in the forgiveness
[30:45] offered by his grieving widow, Erica, and the young people who recommitted themselves to Charlie's
[30:52] ideals, it's easy for anyone to see the legacy he's left behind. Charlie Kirk may be gone,
[31:00] but his voice will live on forever. In every campus debate, in every prayer, and in every generation
[31:08] stirred to act. On September 10, Charlie Kirk was assassinated and died. On the same date,
[31:16] one million Charlie Kirk's were born. I am one of them. I love Charlie Kirk. I will endeavour
[31:24] for the rest of my life to live like Charlie Kirk, to be the best husband, father, and grandfather,
[31:30] I can be. Can some people get to play, please? Can you hear it like in hospitality? I don't want
[31:43] to go where you are. I don't want to go where you are. Get out of here. I will also embrace my Christianity
[31:56] and strive to be the best soldier for Christ I can be. I unfortunately can't support this agenda item in
[32:05] its current form. I am all for an ad hoc committee. My mind remains open to discussing ways
[32:13] that we can honor Charlie Kirk, and those incredible voices before Charlie, who also promoted peaceful
[32:19] and respectful engagement and debate. Such names that come to mind mind include Frederick Douglass,
[32:24] Martin Luther King Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt, all who promoted reconciliation rooted in nonviolence
[32:31] and love. I envision a place here in Huntington Beach somewhere. I don't know if it's going to be a
[32:38] wall or a park or what, but I envision a place here in Huntington Beach where we can all go and pay homage
[32:44] to the great peacemakers of our time. I also want to point out I see my friend Melissa murals up there
[32:51] in the crowd, and she put together the most incredible picture that she sent it to me. She painted it.
[32:58] And it's Charlie Kirk standing holding two microphones. One for him and one whoever wants to debate
[33:06] him. He wasn't shutting anybody's voices out. He wanted to hear them. And that's what I think that we have to
[33:13] get back to here in Huntington Beach in our country. And the guys are up there shaking their heads no.
[33:19] No, we have to engage with each other and we have to engage civilly and respectfully. Thank you.
[33:28] Man, please, please, go ahead or I'll begin or leave. Go ahead, Donald.
[33:36] Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to touch on a couple of points.
[33:42] Me personally, being at the end of the baby boomer generation. Oh, I've never seen one human,
[33:50] mobilize so many different generations around his common principles, the common principles
[33:58] of so many faith, Jesus, open debate, freedom of speak, freedom to debate.
[34:06] So in that context, in my lifetime, and I've been around through many great people,
[34:11] I've never seen one human being, again, mobilize so many people across so many different generations.
[34:19] That's that's my first observation. Secondly, no matter how great the person, no matter
[34:24] just no matter how great the person, I think we witnessed it in the COVID era
[34:31] that even some of our greatest Americans who are more marginalized with statues,
[34:37] a gentleman said something about, it'll get ripped down. For whatever reason, there's certain aspects
[34:45] of people that will destroy anything and everything if they don't agree with it and that's just
[34:51] not the American way. You can disagree, but you don't need to destroy if you don't agree.
[34:58] Third, the size and the scope of the project, if it were to come to fruition, have not even yet been
[35:04] defined, and the hope might even be that there's not one taxpayer dollar expended to bring this to light.
[35:12] Regarding representing all sitting on the dice, I do my best to represent all, but let's face it.
[35:20] There is no way to represent all, because there is never a way to ever complete a unanimous consensus.
[35:27] So with that said, the representation of all is a false premise. It sounds good on paper, but it's not
[35:34] achievable. So we have to make decisions based on what we think is best for the city at this period of time.
[35:43] I have just a quick video if Corbin, is it ready to play? It's just a couple of minutes. The only reason
[35:49] I wanted to show it, it's Charlie Kirk answering a couple of questions, but it really shows
[35:54] the basis for all the constitutional officials and how we formed our great country,
[36:03] the basis of where Jesus Christ lied back in the founding fathers days. So go ahead Corbin.
[36:12] Remember that we were a collection of states and colonies. You need to read the state
[36:17] constitutions where I think else. 13 out 13 required a declaration of fate, nine out 13 required
[36:21] to be a Protestant, except Maryland, which was Catholic, which still required a declaration of it.
[36:26] Every single one of the original state constitutions Pennsylvania included, they had high-professed
[36:31] Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in the original state constitutions. Secondly, 55 out of 56
[36:37] of the original signers of the Declaration of Revival Belief in Church Tending Christians. You asked
[36:41] about common law. So common law isn't inherited from waxedown, it was Christian. It, that common
[36:45] law is an outgrowth of the Scriptures. So let's go to three principles, a common law.
[36:49] There's some tremendous sense, a few process, and you'll have your peers, all three of the
[36:53] biblical principles. So and all wrapped into the ultimate biblical principle that you shall not
[36:59] favor justice if you are a ritual court, which is in Leviticus 19, right before, most famous part
[37:04] of Leviticus 19, which is that you should love your neighbors yourself. But before that is that in the
[37:09] administration of justice, you shall not favor the ritual of the poor, which is the idea of blind
[37:13] justice we get that in the West, which is incorporated also in the New Testament ideal.
[37:17] Neither slave nor Greek nor Jew, you are all one in Jesus Christ. There's a redhead of human equality.
[37:21] These are all biblical ideas, they're not enlightened like my ideas. But more importantly than that,
[37:25] they say that God was only mentioned four times in the Declaration of Independence. Well that's a big deal.
[37:29] Okay, while as a nature and nature's God, the last paragraph of the Declaration reads as a prayer,
[37:34] it says, we appeal to the supreme judge of the universe, who's the judge of the universe,
[37:39] Jesus Christ, it says in Revelation, that Jesus will judge the earth on His throne.
[37:44] In the Declaration, they were praying to Christ our Lord as a prayer very specifically.
[37:50] Thirdly, as I said on the stage yesterday, Deuteronomy was by far the most quoted book,
[37:54] religious or non-religious, in the time of the founding when they were putting together
[37:58] Constitution, more than John Locke, more than Montesquieu, more than Blackstone. So the Book of Deuteronomy,
[38:04] which talked about laws, customs, traditions, those Moses farewell address, as you can't
[38:08] about to say goodbye. So hey, good luck and can, guys. Here's how you should set up your form of government.
[38:13] But finally and most importantly, let's look at actually what the founder said.
[38:18] John Adams seems to have said the Constitution was only written for a moral religious people.
[38:22] It was holy and adequate for the people of any other. The body politic of America was so Christian.
[38:27] It was so Protestant that our former structure of government was built for the people that believed in Christ our Lord.
[38:33] One of the reasons we're living through a Constitutional crisis is that we no longer have a Christian nation,
[38:37] but we have a Christian form of government and they're getting compatible. So you cannot have liberty
[38:42] if you do not have a Christian population. Our country was taught on common law.
[38:51] The problem with some people is that the reason they made disagree with Charlie is
[38:58] he had such command of his ability to recall. And his belief in Jesus Christ was so strong that
[39:04] his frame of context is always going to be based around the principles of Jesus Christ.
[39:10] So anybody who doesn't believe that right off the bat during the debate will not have the opportunity
[39:17] to really overcome him because he can cite things so quickly that our factual or drawn from the Bible.
[39:24] And that's why he was not only a great debate, but he was a very fair man, but we are a competitive nature.
[39:30] And when we lose something, even at a debate, we might frame our perspective of a person or an opponent differently
[39:39] because maybe we felt like we lost. All I can say is he is a polarizing human. And if you were to
[39:46] to govern by general consensus, I would say he stands in favored status by more than 50
[39:55] plus 1% of the United States. So by general consensus, I would say he stands in the favor of the majority.
[40:03] With that said, I will be supporting the ad hoc committee to move forward. And God bless America.
[40:12] Okay, so I'm actually trying to look at everything through a positive land. So I actually saw a lot
[40:20] of positive things here, even in a midst of everybody's visceral reactions, both positive and negative. So there
[40:26] are a few things. Number one, I'm proud of Huntington Beach for not being one of those cities where people
[40:30] come up in public comment and say disgusting things about his death. Actually everybody who spoke against this
[40:35] did say and talk about what a tragedy it is. And I'm glad that we can all kind of have that
[40:40] alignment on moral compass. I'm not going to use my time to kind of pontificate specifically on
[40:47] Charlie Kirk's few points. My other co-council people have already done so, you know, like I said and
[40:53] liked on said. So a common refrain is kind of unity and decision. The reality is where humans
[41:00] are always going to disagree, you know, we could be talking about, you know, a stick on Main Street
[41:05] and somebody would argue with me about whether or not it's a branch and not a stick. I mean,
[41:09] there's really never going to be alignment, but how can we find some sort of common ground? So everybody
[41:13] supports kind of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Perhaps it's a different character
[41:18] in which they feel as if that's being represented. And they feel as if Charlie Kirk isn't the right
[41:23] representation of that character. So let's put that aside, that's obviously a central disagreement.
[41:29] One of the things that I heard everybody talk about is the use of private funds. I think it does
[41:33] something that we should consider here as we kind of reshape this. I do think that we should be using
[41:37] we should just procure private funds. We should not be using any city funds for this or public funds.
[41:42] We do want to be able to, you know, I've always been an advocate of a removing government from
[41:45] these conversations and that's one way in which we can do it. The second piece, I think of contention once
[41:50] again, moving away from the reaction to the character, but the conversation that we're having
[41:55] is the mural element. I know I've spoken to other residents since this was announced and they gave
[42:00] me some stories about just the inability for the city to agree upon certain elements of murals in the
[42:06] past, which were issues noncontroversial issues. So we should consider perhaps expanding this, whether it's
[42:14] whether it's maybe a plaque or maybe it is something outside of the mural piece. I think the ad hoc
[42:18] committee, that's something that we should be looking at taking the public's input into consideration
[42:23] in that regard. And then, obviously, the location and the location is going to be a key point of this.
[42:28] And we really need to be particular about the way in which we position and center this. So those are kind
[42:35] of the three big points that I'm looking at this through in trying to find some form of consensus
[42:40] and being sensitive to everybody's emotions and feelings regarding the subject. But ultimately,
[42:46] the expression and the celebration of freedom of speech and everything that we believe that Charlie
[42:51] Cook stood for and as you've seen in many of the videos is the centerpiece of what we're trying
[42:55] to do right now. It just happens to be in a moment in time in which this is very, it's amplified by virtue
[43:01] of what we've seen over the past week.
[43:08] Jeff, I've seen some misconceptions on email. Do you mind is reading the issue statement and then
[43:13] the recommended action? Yes, thank you. And one of those misconceptions that you might be spotlighting
[43:18] is concerns about whether or not this will be funded through the city. And so you'll see that this
[43:23] project is proposed to be funded through private contributions. But the issue statement says this item
[43:28] proposes a consideration of a mural project as an artistic expression honoring the principles of freedom
[43:34] and free speech while memorializing Charlie Kirk. The project is proposed to be funded through private
[43:40] contributions to avoid impact to city resources. The proposal includes the formation of a city,
[43:46] council ad hoc committee comprised of three council members authorized to identify
[43:51] a suitable location, select the artists or artists, and review artwork design, ensuring the project
[43:57] complies with city guidelines. And I can move on to the recommended action if you like with a
[44:02] slide adjustment, I'll read the adjustment in there and I'll highlight where the adjustment is.
[44:06] So the recommended action is to direct staff to explore the creation of a mural as an artistic
[44:11] expression honoring freedom and free speech, memorializing Charlie Kirk and form a city council
[44:16] ad hoc committee. And then I'm going to suggest comprised of Mayor Burns Councilman Gruel and myself
[44:22] Councilman Williams to be authorized to identify a location, artists or artists, and artwork for the mural.
[44:30] And then some people had asked why not a monument, why not a plaque. So I just want to have the flexibility here.
[44:37] So I'm going to add this language and or monument in plaque. So that would be the recommended action.
[44:44] Chad, do you mind if I make one more tweak? I was talking with Andrew about it. When you guys are doing this
[44:51] exploring, can you also look at, you know, other, I guess additional locations like
[44:57] both on like private and public property.
[45:00] To maybe do like additional artistic, whether it's murals or dedications to other, as butch mentioned, maybe like national and like local people as well. I mean, you guys are already doing the works of begin to kind of identify like all options. I mean, I've had and also really work with other, you know, multiple artists if we can, but I've had requests recently from people to get involved in doing some murals and town, whether it's on like a little utility box or something like that. So I thought if you guys are doing this expiration, you could maybe identify like multiple locations and maybe do some other cool,
[45:30] like artistic murals or whatever. So as far as location goes, everything's on the table. As far as artists, we're not nailed down to one, I was thinking of the possibility of, you know, collaboration with multiple artists to pull this off. And then I think there might be a point of order that she did, Ternick and here I'm talking about.
[45:45] I just would suggest we bring it back to council for final approval.
[45:49] Probably yeah, I went for final approval, but this my thought is, because I know there's been some concerns from the community, but you know, other options as well, or maybe additional murals for other figures. So that'd be kind of cool to once you guys are doing this exercise.
[45:59] Yeah, I like it.
[46:01] My only, I'm supportive of this of course, but it's not direct staff to explore the creation of a mural, let the ad hoc committee create it, try to leave staff out of it.
[46:14] And when necessary include staff in some of the planning work with staff.
[46:19] Yeah, work with staff to do this, but really let the ad hoc committee do the work and kind of keep staff that way, again, city funds are not.
[46:28] But funds are not involved and, and keep plaque the, an option.
[46:35] Right.
[46:36] Okay, so we can fix that by just simply adding the first two words instead of direct, we can add work with work with staff.
[46:43] And so if you like, I could read the recommended action.
[46:46] I think as then suggested, so recommended action would be work with staff to explore the creation of a mural as an artistic expression, honoring freedom and free speech, memorializing Charlie Kirk.
[46:57] And form a city council ad hoc committee comprised of Mayor Burns, Councilman Gruel and myself, Councilman Williams to be authorized to identify a location in artists or artists and artwork for the mural and or monument or plaque.
[47:13] And return to council and return to council for a final vote.
[47:17] I'll second the.
[47:22] Anybody else?
[47:24] Okay, city clerk.
[47:26] Please call a roll.
[47:29] Calling the roles for recommended action as amended, bring back to council with an updated recommended action.
[47:40] Councilman.
[47:42] With those amendments, yes.
[47:44] Councilman Kennedy.
[47:45] Yes.
[47:46] Mayor Protemachian.
[47:48] Yes.
[47:49] Hi.
[47:50] Councilman.
[47:51] Yes.
[47:52] Item passes six zero one.
[47:55] Okay.
[47:59] With that, I'll make the motion to adjourn the meeting.
[48:03] Do I have a second?
[48:06] Second.
[48:07] Second.
[48:08] Do the next regular scheduled meeting of the Huntington Beach Council City Council public financing authority is Tuesday.
[48:18] October 7th in the Civic Center, Council chambers.
[48:21] 2,000 Main Street Hunt Beach California.
[48:49] Thank you.
[48:50] Thank you.
[49:18] Thank you.